I am writing to wish each of you a very Blessed Easter.  With all the family stuff, church stuff and plus trying to keep the greenhouse growing and blooming it is a very busy time.  But have to remember the reason for the season....only with the Lord's  help, love and all he gives us we can make it thru life.  In his name we pray.  AMEN  Take time to say thank you LORD....

     Deer-Resistant, Drought-Tolerant Coneflowers
Coneflowers are classic, timeless perennials. With their cheerful, daisy-like flowers and tough constitutions, they fit perfectly into any garden. If you've been plagued by drought you'll love Coneflowers even more. Once established, they can withstand the occasional dry spell with ease. They make outstanding cut flowers, too, and when fall rolls around, their cones (the center of the flower that's left behind after the petals fall) are an added decorative bonus. They're bee-friendly and deer-resistant, too!
 
  Coneflowers fall into two groups--those in the genus Echinacea and those in the genus Rudbeckia. We offer a wide selection of each group, from warm pink to the brightest of golds. All of them can be started from seed with great success. Start them indoors early enough in spring and you may get flowers the first year
taken from  
kitchengardenseeds@kitchengardenseeds.com

 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa
 

This is my second test to see if I can get it posted on Becky's Greenhouse...sorry for all of this....but I am trying.  Till next time, this is Becky Litterer Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa

     I will be sending out the regular blog later today.  But I went to a Facebook marketing class last night and they want me to post on Beckys greenhouse.com so just testing to see if this will post there first and then I will post on my personal page.  So this is why testing, testing, testing....  greenhouse is getting greener, and planting is in full production.  HERE we go.  I promise you spring is coming.  Till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa

       What Larry says the 15" of snow we just got last weekend, is adding lots of nitrogen to the grass as the snow is melting or he is moving it the grass is a nice green color.  BUT don't want lots of more snow to get a green grass so here is what you can do with fertilizing your grass.
 
Standard practice is to apply a dose of lawn fertilizer in the spring, followed by one or two more during the growing season. If you follow this standard practice, though, the most common mistake is to apply the spring fertilizer application too early in spring. In reality, the best time for that first application is in late spring, just as the green grass is beginning to grow eagerly. In early spring, grasses are putting energy into root development, and applying fertilizer at this time will divert the plant's energy into leaf development too soon.
 
However, the question of whether to fertilize at all and when is a subject of pretty intense debate, as the following discussion will make clear.
 
Should I Fertilize My Lawn and When?
 
The question of whether or not a lawn should be fertilized generates a lot of debate, based first of all on where you stand on the organic/low impact-to-chemical spectrum. Organic gardeners who bemoan the use of any and all chemicals would say that fertilizing a lawn really should not be done at all—or if you do it, you should take great pains to apply it sparingly so as to avoid the possibility of any kind of fertilizer run-off into water supplies. And there is good evidence to support this position, as contamination of streams, rivers, and groundwater supplies by the phosphorus and nitrogen found in lawn and agricultural fertilizers is a severe problem.
 
For most of us, though, the desire for a nice, full green lawn is such that we're willing to apply at least some fertilizer to our lawns.
 
A spring yard cleanup checklist readies your landscaping for summer. Learn more about lawn work, preparing flower beds, care, and prevention.
 
For the organic crowd, there are ways to feed a lawn safely. First, you can choose to use a mulching mower that chops up grass into fine particles that then break down on the lawn. Horticultural experts say that over the course of the season, this technique provides a lawn with as much nitrogen as one complete application of lawn fertilizer.
 
And there are also fertilizers that are truly organic in nature—made from natural materials rather than refined chemicals. These organic fertilizers (they will be labeled as such) will indeed feed your lawn just fine, though they are somewhat less saturated with the key nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, abbreviated as N-P-K) than the industrially refined fertilizers.
 
Many people, though, opt for a traditional chemical lawn fertilizer of the type widely available at hardware stores, big box home improvement centers, and garden shops. Manufacturers of these products do a good job of identifying the appropriate use of these products, tailoring their mixes for the time of year. You will, for example, find products aimed at early season feeding, mid-summer fertilizing, and late season "turf-builder" mixes. And you will also find products that combine fertilizer with herbicides or prevention formulations intended to kill weeds or prevent them from germinating. So reading product labels is very important.
 
Be Wary of Fertilizer Application Rates
 
Where you should question the fertilizer manufacturer's recommendations, though, is in the quantity and frequency of application recommended on the label.
Fertilizer packages are a little excessive in the amount of fertilizer they recommend. This is understandable, as they want to sell product and have a vested interest in seeing robust applications of fertilizer. So review these recommendations carefully.
 
A healthy lawn will be a fairly light shade of bright green. If you see a lawn that is a deep, almost blackish green, it is likely because it has been very heavily fertilized. That dark green comes from lots of nitrogen on the lawn, and before you admire it, be aware that almost certainly some of that fertilizer has run off into the streets, storm sewers, and then into streams and rivers.
 
The best recommendation: Start light, with perhaps half the recommended rate of fertilizer. You can also reapply if you don't like the results. Over a season or two, you'll get a clear sense of how much it really takes to get an acceptable, light green turf lawn.
 
When to Fertilize
 
Homeowners on the more organic side of things maintain they can get by with a single "turf-builder" application in the early fall to build root systems, then omit all fertilizers the following spring and summer, except for the nitrogen offered by mulching grass clippings as they go. But more mainstream homeowners may want to apply two or at most three light applications of fertilizer per growing year—one in the spring, one at midsummer in regions where it is necessary, and one "turf-builder" application in the early fall. The actual timing of this will depend on your region, though, and the type of turf grasses you have, so consult someone at a good garden center or your nearest University Extension office for recommendations.
 
Maximizing the Spring Application
 
Although spring fertilization is recommended as part of a complete lawn care program, applying it too early can throw off the whole program. When cool season grasses “wake up” in the spring, they enter a natural growth cycle when the root system begins growing and building carbohydrate (energy) reserves. Additionally, if you have fertilized the previous fall, especially late in the season, the slow-release function of the fertilizer will still be lingering, providing extra green up in the spring. Fertilizing in the early spring is often encouraged by fertilizer companies and lawn care services but not by agronomists and turf specialists.
 
So, rather than fertilizing in the early spring, it is better to wait until the late spring, (late May/early June) just before the heat of summer begins and after the grass is growing robustly. This is preparing the grass for summer when it will begin slowing down carbohydrate production and begins utilizing the reserves. A good feeding of  3/4-1.0 lb of slow-release nitrogen will allow the plant to rebuild its energy (carbohydrate) reserves and ward off the stresses of summer, such as drought, heat, traffic, disease, and insects. An IBDU or polymer-coated slow-release fertilizer can feed the grass for up to 12 weeks.
 
Post Spring Fertilizing
 
Warm-season grasses thrive in the heat of the summer and can be fertilized throughout the growing season. But cool season grasses are in a survival mode during the heat of the summer, and the flush of top growth that fertilizing provides should not be encouraged when the lawn is stressed and vulnerable. A cool-season lawn should need no further inputs other than water and Integrated Pest Management until September. Be very wary of applying fertilizer to a lawn in mid summer if you live in a climate where cool-season grasses are the norm in lawn seed mixes.
 
Recommendations from most lawn-care experts is that a mild dose of a "turf-builder" formulation of fertilizer in the early- to mid-fall, while the turf still has several weeks of active growth before dormancy, is a good idea, as it will build strong root systems going into winter and will help jump-start the lawn in spring. This can be a fairly light application, and should not be done with the aim of returning the lawn to the green of summer. A natural slowdown occurs in fall, and you should expect the lawn to begin to lose its green luster.
 
Combination Fertilizers and Crabgrass Control Products
 
Pre-emergent herbicides (which are applied in the early spring) usually contain fertilizer—however, it is only a small amount and not considered a full “feeding.” The fertilizer in a pre-emergent herbicide is added to maintain or slightly boost the growth in the grass, while the herbicide restricts seedling development. Some pre-emergent herbicides have an adverse effect on the grass and the inclusion of fertilizer helps the grass stay strong while the herbicide works.
 
After Fertilizing
 
It's best to coincide any fertilizer application with a rainfall or watering of at least 1/4" to water in the product. Remember that a lawn fertilized with a slow-release fertilizer will not need to be fertilized for up to 12 weeks, and maybe longer. Do not water very heavily or apply fertilizer before a heavy storm is expected, as the chances of the nutrients flowing away into storm ​drains and streams are likely.
taken from  https://www.thespruce.com/when-to-apply-spring-fertilizer-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa

     Ready for Spring  Yes we are ready to have spring like weather.....
Plants That Attract Butterflies
The selection of plants that attract butterflies can be presented in a variety of ways. Here we've chosen to present our selection so as to emphasize the diversity and the visual appeal of the specimens available. Whether you're looking for spring flowers, summertime favorites long used in cottage gardens, or shrubs valued for their fall color, you can easily find an option that will double as a butterfly magnet.
 
Our list of plants that attract butterflies is obviously not exhaustive, its purpose being merely to get you started on your hunt for the perfect blooms.
 
Daffodils
We alluded in our introduction to seasonal diversity, but we also find considerable diversity in terms of plant type when we peruse this list of good butterfly plants. Daffodils are classed as spring bulb plants, for example (more specifically, deer-resistant bulb plants, which is an important consideration in deer country). But you'll also see references below to perennials, annual plants, shrubs, and trees.
 
Allium Schubertii
Like daffodils, the ornamental onions, such as Allium schubertii, are bulb plants that flower in spring. The flowers of the latter, however, will appear later in the spring season than those of the daffodil. What we really like about this ornamental onion is how good it still looks even after the blooms have gone by. This is the feature we wanted to capture in our picture (at left), which shows the dried seed head in all its architectural splendor.
 
Pet lovers have less reason to be enthusiastic about this beauty, as we explain in our article.
 
Candytuft
Candytuft is another late-spring bloomer. This perennial can serve as a flowering ground cover. But other than its ability to draw butterflies, we value it mainly for the beauty of its flowers. Not only are the blossoms wonderful when viewed en masse, but we also like to admire the individual flowers up-close: the pattern their petals form is quite exquisite.
 
Candy Oh! Landscape Roses
Rosa aficionados will be glad that we've worked at least one kind of rose into my list of plants that attract butterflies. Meanwhile, those who are hesitant about growing roses because they've heard they're hard to grow will appreciate the particular selection that we're featuring. The fact is, this little landscape rose will grow like a weed even for the brown thumb.
 
Red Hot Poker Plants
Again, one of my criteria in composing this list of plants that attract butterflies is based purely on aesthetic considerations: our goal is to supply you with ideas for visually-appealing specimens to grow. That they happen to serve double-duty in drawing colorfully winged wonders into your yard is just a bonus.
While many plants, including red hot poker (photo), are visually-appealing in their own right, it also pays to know a few of the tips used by the pros in designing a garden. By playing with these design principles, you can achieve a composition that is greater than the sum of its parts.
For example, the fact that red-hot poker's flower has a spiky form makes it useful in landscape design. Juxtapose its flower spikes to something with a softer form to create a contrast.
 
 Chocolate Drop Sedum
We just mentioned a potential use for red hot poker: namely, to create a contrast in form. In our own landscape, we grow it close to my 'Chocolate Drop' sedum. Not only do the two contrast in terms of flower form (the Chocolate Drop's flower head is dome-shaped), but also in color.
 
A related specimen that is another plant that attracts butterflies is the better-known 'Autumn Joy' sedum. As its name suggests, this sedum (or "stonecrop") comes into its own in fall.
 
Maltese Cross
Like red hot poker and Chocolate Drop sedum, Maltese cross is a perennial and a summer standout. While this classic flower did not make my list of the 10 best landscaping plants you may not know, it is certainly under-appreciated at present. This wasn't always the case: Maltese cross is one of those traditional cottage garden plants that people grew for ages. Our grandparents knew what they were doing!
 
Korean Spice Viburnum
But the selection of plants that attract butterflies is not limited to low-growing vegetation. Shrubs and trees are part of the mix, as well.
 
Viburnum shrubs are host plants for the caterpillars of spring azure blues. One example is Korean spice viburnum (photo), which puts out fragrant flowers in spring, then generously offers colorful fall foliage in autumn, to boot. Another example is arrowwood viburnum.
 
Or are you interested in something with pretty berries? You'll get that in spades with beautyberry shrubs. Not only are the berries of Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst' numerous, they also come in an unusual color: purple.
taken from https://www.thespruce.com/plants-that-attract-butterflies
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa
 

     Best Vegetables that Will Self-Sow By Marie IannottiDid you ever wish your vegetables and herbs would seed themselves, the way self-sowing flowers keep your garden in bloom? You could try succession planting, to keep the harvest coming. Succession planting is easy enough to do; simply plant short rows of your vegetables every 2-3 weeks. But there's an even easier way to get repeat harvests of many vegetables - let them go to seed and self sow.
Bolting is often looked at as a bad thing. We've left a plant too long and it is beyond harvest...MORE quality. The natural inclination is to rip it out and plant something else in its place. If you can resist that temptation long enough to let the seeds ripen and fall, the plant will succession plant for you.
Sometimes the weather dictates when plants go to seed. If temperatures soar before early spring crops have had much time to grow, cool weather lovers, like spinach and corn salad, will throw in the towel and send up seed stalks. Likewise, if biennials, like broccoli and kale, experience a sudden dip in temperatures, they will think they've gone through winter and are entering their second growing season and go to seed. So we might not be able to control which plants self sow when, but it is in their nature to seed and it will happen eventually.
Controlling Self-Sowing VegetablesWith vegetables grown for their leaves, like lettuce, kale, and herbs, you might want to speed things up and encourage them to self seed, by not harvesting their leaves. Harvesting encourages new leaf growth. When plants are left to their own devices, they will go to seed as soon as possible.
In warmer climates, with two growing seasons, you may even get volunteers of beans, squash and tomatoes. However it is not recommended you leave plant debris in the garden over winter, because the risk of over-wintering diseases and pests outweighs the rewards of free food. Better to save the seed to plant fresh next year.
If you'd rather your vegetable plants seed in another space in the garden, wait until the seeds have dried and are just about ready to drop. Then cut of the entire seed head and toss or scatter the seed elsewhere.
Self-sown plants are not very good at spacing them selves optimally and some thinning will probably be required. Thinning is a tedious tasks, but it's made a bit more palatable if you remember that most of the thinned plants are edible and can be added to salads, soups, or vegetable dishes. More free food!
You may also get some volunteers in the compost bin. Wherever they sprout, keep in mind that only open pollinated (OP) varieties will grow true to seed and even they may surprise you, if you've planted more than one variety and they've cross pollinated. Of course, surprises can be good, too. You may stumble on a new hybrid that you really like. Then you'll have the fun of trying to recreate the cross that lead to it.
A bonus of allowing some plants to flower and go to seed is that many of the flowers attract beneficial insects. The clustered flowers of plants with umbels, like dill, fennel, and carrots, are great for attracting parasitic wasps, which feed on peskier insects. They are also attractive to pollinators and butterflies.
Bottom line is, if you can learn to allow some randomness and serendipity in your garden, it just might delight you.
Some spring bolting plants that will self-sow for summer or fall include:
Arugula Arugula is one of the earliest vegetables to start growing in spring. It will try to go to seed quickly, as soon as the temperatures start to warm. New plants won't last long in the hot sun, but you can keep them going longer by planting taller plants nearby, to shade them.
Asian Greens We grow and eat a lot of Asian greens, like bok choy and mizuna. Many will continue growing if you use them as cut-and-come-again crops. But they will eventually go to seed. Let them. You could have new plants all season.
Borage always self-sows. You will not only have new plants this season, tiny seedlings will pop up early next season. Since it is the flowers we harvest and use, you will need to ease up on harvesting, if you want this perpetual sowing, but there are usually plenty of flowers to go around.
Broccoli raab is actually more closely related to turnips, than broccoli. It is the leaves and stems we cook and eat. This is an extremely early to sprout vegetable and it won't take much heat for it to bolt to flower and seed. The older plants will get tough, but the new seedlings will be tender. Don't give up hope, the seeds might not sprout until the temperatures cool down in the fall.Carrots can have a long growing season, so not everyone will have enough time to see their self-sowers mature. But if you choose faster maturing varieties, like the small, round varieties, you will stand a better chance. A bonus of letting carrots go to seed is the beneficial insects their flowers attract.
Cilantro is another leafy edible that prefers growing in cool weather. If you get your plants out very early in the spring, you may have some bolting and re-seeding before the summer heat sets in. More likely you will start to see volunteers popping up as fall arrives.
Collards Collard greens are very popular in the Southern U.S., but they can be grown just about anywhere. And like most cole crops, they like to go to seed. Collards can be large plants and you may not have the room to let one idle until it drops its seeds, but if you do, go for it.
Corn Salade (Mache) Corn salad is so cold hardy, you can winter sow it. However, like arugula, it tends to go to seed as soon as the first warms spring days arrive. You may not get new plants the same spring, but keep an eye out. They could come back in the fall or even next year.
Dill Dill is a prodigious self-sower. You may find new dill plants coming up all over your garden. Although it is tempting to harvest every last seed, let a few fend for themselves. The more plants you have, the more you have to harvest.
Fennel You will have better luck with the leafy fennel herb re-seeding, than the bulbing variety. Like carrots and dill, fennel has flowers that beneficial insects adore. And as with dill, although you may want to harvest every last fennel seed, let a few escape to re-seed and provide you with new, fresh plants.
Lettuce Lettuce will continue growing throughout the summer, if you give it plenty of water and harvest it as cut-and-come-again. However, sooner or later a plant or two or three will manage to bolt. Don't pull them out too quickly. Most varieties of lettuce are only too happy to self-sow.
Mustard Mustard greens are quick growers and most can handle the heat. The most prodigious self-sower is 'Giant Red Mustard'. This mild leafy green will pop up everywhere, for years to come. But some of the Asian mustards, like tatsoi and mizuna, are eager volunteers, too.
Radishes Radishes need to grow quickly, or they can get woody or unpleasantly hot. Most gardeners loose a few radishes to bolting and quickly pull them out. If you let the seeds fall, you will get volunteers, but you will need to keep them cool with plenty of water, to have the bulbs grow well. If you are growing edible podded radishes, you don't have to worry about the timing or the heat because your new plants will keep bolting and producing new pods.
Spinach Another cool season vegetable, spinach plants are one of the fastest to go to seed. If you have a long, cool spring, you could get volunteers to enjoy right away. Most years, you will have to wait until the temperatures start to cool down, in fall, to see new plants start emerging.
taken from https://www.thespruce.com/best-self-sowing-vegetables-
till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa  

Mary I hope you see this blog this is to answer your question about the fall bulbs not planted this fall.  I thought this is what to do, but I found an article to help you decide what to do.  Good luck!!!!  Becky
HELP! I ran out of time to plant my fall bulbs! Now what?
 
“I know you’re not supposed to plant fall bulbs in the spring but we were hit with hard winter weather rather early this year and I am left with at least 100 tulip and daffodil bulbs that were unable to get planted. Would they survive to bloom next year if I were to plant them now?”
 
~Dianne from Idaho
 
Dianne asks a very good question…and one I’ve heard quite often! We all know what it’s like to have the greatest plans for our yard that never seem to quite materialize. Sometimes you even get so motivated that you actually purchase the bulbs and yet they still never make it in the ground! Whether it’s a forgetful mind, the unpredictability of Mother Nature, or just plain running out of time, it’s okay: we’ve ALL done it. And the best news? It may not be too late for your bulbs!
 
The most important factor to consider when deciding what to do with fall bulbs which were never planted in fall is the conditions in which they have been stored. Were they kept in a cool, dry place since you bought them? Were they left out in the garage? Were they left on the warm kitchen table? Test your bulbs for firmness by squeezing them. Also look for signs of rot or blight by checking the outside of the bulbs for dark or mushy spots. If the bulbs feel firm and have a rather healthy-looking outside, then you’ve got yourself some winners! Most likely, if the bulb was left outside or in a very cold garage and was allowed to freeze, it is no longer salvageable.
 
So now that you’ve determined that your bulbs are still healthy enough to survive, it’s time to get them “chilled.” As you may or may not know, most fall bulbs (tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth to be specific) need to be chilled in order to grow and bloom properly in the springtime. When planting them in northern climates which receive consistently cool weather in the winter (Zones 3-8), this happens naturally. However, since your bulbs were not planted before the winter and now the ground is frozen, the bulbs can no longer be planted in the ground this year. This leaves you with two options:
1.Plant the bulbs in one large (or a few small) pots. Plant them at the correct depth but don’t worry much about the spacing. As long as the bulbs aren’t on top of one another or smashed side-by-side, they’ll be fine. Place this pot in a cool but not freezing garage (upper 30’s and 40’s for temperature). If you do not have a garage or shed which meets this criteria, the pot can be left outside on a patio or deck as long as it is wrapped in something which will protect it from frost (such as burlap or bubble wrap). The bulbs will then receive their necessary “chilling” period but will not freeze. In approximately 10 to 12 weeks or so, you should start to see a little growth. Once this happens, move the pot to a nice sunny patio or lawn area (or remove the bubble warp). The bulbs will continue to grow and bloom just as they would in the ground. The bulbs can then be dug out of the pot and moved to a flowerbed either during their growing cycle or after the foliage has browned and dried. OR…
 
2.Place the bulbs in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Be sure that the refrigerator is set at a temperature between 35°F and 50°F. Also, rid the refrigerator of any fruit (particularly apples) as these produce a plant hormone called “ethylene” when ripening which will cause flower bulbs to rot. After a period of 10-12 weeks, the bulbs may start to sprout. At this time, the ground outside should be thawed and the bulbs planted in the ground. They will then grow and bloom as normal!
 
One important thing to keep in mind when doing this is that the environment required by these bulbs is being artificially created. Therefore, be forgiving of your bulbs and do not expect them to be super all-star growers and bloomers the first year. It may take them a little while to readjust but after they have completed their first full growing season, you’ll never be able to tell the difference!
taken from http://www.bulbblog.com/bulbs-never-got-planted/
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa

       I almost didn't want to post this because you have to plant most of these bulbs in the fall, for spring blooms.  NOT planting them now...but if I think of it I will post this again in the fall so then you can plant these bulbs so you can have blooms without the deer eating them....
 
Deer Resistant Spring Blooming Bulbs  By  Marie Iannotti
 
These Spring Bulbs Are Deer-Proof
After a tough winter, spring-blooming bulbs are one of the most welcome garden sights. That's why it is all the more disappointing when they are eaten by deer before you get a chance to enjoy them. If tulips are impossible for you to grow successfully, consider planting some of these six spring-blooming bulbs that have been proven extremely deer resistant.
 
Allium (Allium sativum)
Ornamental onions are among the most deer resistant flowering bulbs. The most commonly known alliums have pom pom like blossoms on top of single, straight stalks. However, there is a fair amount of variation in the species. Allium schubertii looks like a fireworks sparkler. Others, like Allium unifolium and Allium bulgaricum, are bell-shaped.
 
You can find alliums in almost every color and height and their bloom times vary throughout the season. Allium are also rodent resistant.
■ Height: Varies (4 inches - 4 ft.)
■ Bloom Time: Late Spring - Early Summer
■ Exposure: Full Sun
■ Hardiness Zones: 4 - 9
 
Crocus (Crocus sativus)
The bright colors of crocus are a welcome sign that the soil is starting to warm. Crocus will even bloom in the snow if the soil below has started to thaw. This versatile little spreader can be used as a ground cover or as a color accent. Plant a few by your mailbox to make the walk down to collect your mail worth it.
 
Crocus are one of the more popular bulbs to grow in the lawn because their foliage fades so quickly.
■ Height: 4 inches
■ Bloom Time: Early Spring
■ Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
■ Hardiness Zones 3 - 9
 
Dwarf Iris (Iris reticulata)
With Iris reticulata, you get the familiar iris flower on a low growing, spreading plant that blooms early in the season. What's not to like? They are somewhat slow to spread, but eventually form a delicate carpet of strappy leaves and ground-carpeting flowers.
 
You can find dwarf iris in blues, purples and white, all colors that will blend extremely well with other spring bloomers.
■ Height: 4 - 6 inches
■ Bloom Time: Early Spring
■ Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
■ Hardiness Zones: 5 - 9
 
Puschkinia libanotica
Here's another of Spring's blue offerings, this time in a pastel powder blue. Puschkinia, or Early Stardrift, makes a nice addition to the border. It's extremely early and so small it fills in all those spaces where later emerging flowers haven't quite grown in yet, but disappears under them when it starts to fade.
 
It's also a great choice for naturalizing, either in a woodland area, under trees, along walkways, or in the lawn.
■ Height: 4 - 6  inches
■ Bloom Time: Early Spring
■ Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
■ Hardiness Zones 3 - 7
 
Fritillaria (Fritillaria meleagris)
Fritillaria adds a touch of drama to your spring garden. From the dramatic, loud colors of 'Crown Imperial,' to the speckles of 'Guinea Hens' (Fritillaria meleagris) above, to the deep purple of Fritillaria persica and the creamy white 'Ivory Bells,' Fritillaria will be noticed. They look exotic, but they are fuss-free, easy growers. Fritillaria are also rodent resistant.
■ Height: Varies (10 - 24 inches)
■ Bloom Time: Mid-Spring
■ Exposure: Full Sun to Shade
■ Hardiness Zones: 4 - 9
 
Glory of the Snow (Chinodoxa forbesii)
Similar to Scilla siberica, Glory of the Snow works best as a ground cover or naturalized in the lawn. Each bulb provides multiple blue, star-shaped blossoms with white centers, which start to bloom as the snow is melting. Don't be surprised to find them in a new spot in the yard every year, as the older clumps continue to spread. As with most small bulbs, they disappear long before their foliage starts to look bedraggled.
■ Height: 4 - 8 inches
■ Bloom Time: Early Spring
■ Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
■ Hardiness Zones: 3 - 9
taken from https://www.thespruce.com/deer-resistant-spring-blooming-bulbs-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa

       
Vegetable Gardening in a Small Space  By  Marie Iannotti
You don't need a lot of space to grow fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits. You don't really even need a garden. Plant breeders know that after taste, home gardeners want a high yield in a small space, so they've been developing more varieties that can grow in a small foot print or even live in containers all year long.
 
The Small Vegetable Plot
Vegetable gardening used to be the poor relation of ornamental flower gardens.
Perennial borders reigned and large, messy, vegetable gardens were hidden in the back yard, usually the domain of the man of the house. Vegetable gardens were about producing food, not beauty.
 
Now that vegetables have taken a more prominent place on the table, they are gaining more respect in the gardening world. And with the increased interest from home gardeners, there has been a surge in the development of new varieties: colorful novelty vegetables, heirlooms, ethnic varieties and compact growers.
 
You don't need a large area to have a vegetable garden. You do need good soil, plenty of sunshine, a water source and probably a fence. If you think the deer love your Hostas, the entire woodland community is going to enjoy your vegetable garden. If you plant it, they will come.  If you have a small sunny spot in your yard, or even on your patio, you can grow vegetables. Here's how to get started.
 
Sun: Vegetables need a good 6 or more hours of sun each day. Without sun, the fruits will not ripen and the plants will be stressed. Even if you are sun challenged, there are a few vegetables that can survive in light shade, lettuce and other greens, broccoli and cole crops.
 
Water: Vegetables also require regular watering.
Without regular water, vegetables will not fill out and some, like tomatoes, will crack open if suddenly plumped up with water after struggling without for awhile.
 
You can't always rely on rain. If you have the means, a drip irrigation system is a definite plus for a vegetable garden. The new component systems are really quite easy to install and cost a lot less than most people think. And you'll save money on water, because it goes directly to the plant's roots. Less is lost to evaporation.
 
If you don't want to opt for drip irrigation, try and site your vegetable garden near a water spigot. You'll be more likely to water if you don't have to drag the hose out.
 
Soil: This final consideration is essential. Vegetables need a soil rich in organic matter. Soil is important to the growth of all plants, but more so with vegetables, because even taste is affected by the quality of the soil. That's part of why wine from the same grape variety can vary from region to region and why some areas grow hotter peppers than others.
If you can provide these three basics: sun, water and great soil, you can vegetable garden.
 
How Much Space Does it Take
Granted, a small space vegetable garden may not be enough for subsistence farming, but it will be enough to grow great tasting tomatoes, some beautiful heirloom eggplants or an endless supply of cutting greens.
If you have limited space, consider what vegetables you can purchase fresh in your area already and what vegetables you truly love and/or miss.
 
Compact Varieties: If you must have a giant beefsteak tomato or a row of sweet corn, the space for growing other vegetables in your small vegetable garden will be limited. But even then, you can choose varieties that are bred to grow in small spaces. Anything with the words patio, pixie, tiny, baby or dwarf in their name is a good bet. Just because a plant is bred to be small doesn't mean the fruits will be small or the yield will be less.
 
Most seeds and seedlings will tell you the mature size of the plants you are selecting. Knowing that, you can space things out and see just how much you can fit into your space. More likely however, you will do what most gardeners do and squeeze in as many seedlings as you can fit into your garden, then deal with the crowding later.
 
That's one way to get a large yield from a small space, but not the best.  If you are truly short of space, interplant your vegetables with your flowers. There's no rule that says you can't mix the two. It can be a bit harder to harvest, but many vegetables are quite ornamental in their own right.
 
Growing Up: If you do opt for a variety of vegetables in your garden, I would recommend the compact varieties and also vining crops that can be trained up on supports. Pole beans take up less space than bush beans. Vining cucumbers and squash, as aggressive as they can be, actually take up less area than their bush cousins.
 
Companion Planting: Companion planting is often touted for the benefit of cutting down on pest infestations, but it also serves well to conserve space. Shade tolerant plants will benefit from being planted next to taller crops. Basil likes a respite from hot sun and does well next to tomatoes. Lettuce will keep producing all summer if shaded by almost any taller plant. Early harvested vegetables, like spinach, radishes and peas, can be planted with slower growing crops like broccoli or peppers, which will not take over the space until the spring harvested vegetables are gone.
 
Companion planting is an art and it can be one of the more fun challenges of gardening. Why limit it to the vegetable garden. Mix your vegetables and flowers.
 
Succession Planting: Succession planting is a great technique for any vegetable garden large or small, but it is all the more valuable when space is limited. Succession planting means reseeding quick growing crops every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. It is especially popular with crops like beans, zucchini and lettuce, that tend to exhaust themselves producing so much. By successively planting, you will have just enough produce for your family's appetite and you'll have it all summer, not all at once.
 
A Downside to a Small Vegetable Garden
Crop Rotation is a great tool for keeping pests and diseases out of the vegetable garden. Rotating your vegetables so they grow in different areas of the garden each year is an excellent way to cut down on diseases and insect pests that over winter in the soil.
 
This really isn't possible in small vegetable gardens. You'll just have to be vigilant about not letting problems get out of hand. If a large scale problem should occur, such as squash beetles or septoria leaf spot on tomatoes, seriously consider not growing the crop for a year. It will be a sacrifice, but one year without is better than several years of a disappointing crop.
 
Growing Fruits and Vegetables in Containers
Virtually any fruit, vegetable or herb can be grown in a container, if the container is large enough. As with ornamental container gardening, this is a great way to control the soil, sun and growing conditions of your edible plants. It is also a great way to squeeze edible gardening into the smallest spaces, by siting them on your patio, front steps or driveway. Here are some tips on specific vegetables in containers.
 
 
Windowsill Gardens
Growing edibles indoors on a windowsill is an easy, low space option for plants that are frequently harvested, like herbs and lettuce. This idea isn't just for gardeners with limited space. Any gardener can extend their growing season by potting up some herbs for indoor growing. If you have the sun, you can even grow some vegetable indoors.
Taken from https://www.thespruce.com/vegetable-gardening-in-small-spaces-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa